Switch actuator



P. A. LUND SWITCH ACTUATOR April 3, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 5,1948 INVENTOR. PHIL/P .15 .ZUZVD BY 'MMzfls P. A. LUND SWITCH ACTUATORApril 3, 1951 Filed Nov. 5, 1948 2 Sh eets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. PHIL/P '1..LU/YD BY M M 4M1 7" Patented Apr. 3, 1951 SWITCH ACTUATOR Philip A.Lund, Mamaroneck, N. Y., assignor to The W. L. Maxson Corporation, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 5, 1948,Serial No. 58,587

1 Claim.

Thisinvention relates to switches and switch actuators. It is a primaryobject of the invention to provide for the convenient and economicalcombining of various actuators with a standard switch so as to meetdifferent requirements as to pre-travel, over-travel, and actuatingforce.

It is a feature of the illustrative embodiments of the invention that aswitch casing through which a switch actuating plunger projects isformed to be attached to and to interfit with any one of a number ofsimilar adapter plates which Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showinga third form of actuator;

Fig. 4a is a vertical, sectional view showing details of the structureof Fig. 4;

Fig.5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a. fourth form of actuator;

Fig. 5a is a vertical, sectional view showing details of the structureof Fig. 5;

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 3 showing a fifth form of actuator;

Fig. 6a is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view showing a portion ofthe structure of Fig. 6;

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a sixth form of actuator;and

Fig. 7a is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view showing a portion ofthe structure of Fig. 7.

The switch illustrated may be in all substantial respects identical withthe switch disclosed and claimed in a pending application of Peter J.Mc- Laren and Cyril O. Benson, Serial No. 718,832, filed December 27,1946, now Patent No. 2,521,015, September 5, 1950, for Snap Over ToggleSwitch. Reference may be had to said pending application for a full,detailed disclosure of the switch. The switch comprises lower and uppercasing members I and 2 within which a snap over toggle switch mechanismis mounted. The switch mechanism is arranged to be actuated by a plunger3.

The lower casing member I is provided with contact tongues 4, 5 and 6.The contact tongue 2 4 is invariably connected, directly or indirectly,to one terminal of a voltage source, while the tongues 5 and 6 arealternatively, selectively connected to the opposite terminal of thevoltage source. The movable switch contact moves up in response to adownward thrust of pin 3, and moves'down as the pin returns to the upposition. The tongue 5 is connected to a conductor which extends abovethe movable switch member within the casing to engage said member in thedown or actuated position of the plunger 3, while the tongue 6 isconnected to a lower contact which extends below the movable switchmember to engage it when the plunger 3 is in the up or normal position.The more common practice is to connect the tongue 5 in circuit and leavethe tongue 5 unconnected, so that the up position of the plunger 3 willbe an open circuit position, and the down position will be a closedcircuit position. In some instances, however, the tongue 6 may beconnected and the'tongue 5 left unconnected, so as to make the uppercontact an active one and the lower contact an idle one.

The lower casing member l is formed with openings 1 through whichmounting screws (not shown) may be passed for securing the casing to asupporting structure. The upper casing section 2 has ears 8 which fitinto recesses formed in the side margins of the lower casing section I.A pin 9, passed through the ears 8 and through the central body portionof the lower casing section 1, serves to secure the casing sections infixed relation to one another.

The casing sections l and tare desirably molded of an insulating,phenolic condensation product such asJBakelite. The upper casing section2 has formed in its upper face a recess Ill, shown as. generallyrectangular to receive and firmly locate a .metallic adapter plate I I.The upper casing member 2 is formed with two drilled opening-s i2 and 13in which case hardened self-tapping screws Hl are adapted to be threadedfor securing the adapter plate to the casing. The adapter plate isiormedwith an opening l5, which receives and fits upon a boss I6 thatsurrounds the plunger 3.

A spring arm I1 is rotatably connected to the plate H by a single rivetl8. When the plate It is first placed upon the switch casing the arm I!is swung to one side, so as to uncover the hole l2 of the casing and acorresponding hole of the plate I I. The plate H is then attached to thecasing member 2 by means of a screw 20 passed through the plate ii andthreaded into the opening l2.

The spring arm I! has an opening formed in it which is adapted to bealigned with the opening l3 of the casing and with a correspondingopening of the plate E I. When the screw 28 has been applied the springarm I1 is swung back into position to have the screw l4 passed throughthe arm l1 and through the plate ll and threaded into the opening l3 ofthe casing member 2. The spring arm I1 is desirably formed with areinforcing rib 23. The spring arm l1 constitutes a convenient actuatorfor the plunge 3 of a simple and direct acting type.

In Fig. 3 disclosure is made of an actuator which is in most respectsthe same as the actuator of Fig. 2. Corresponding reference numeralshave been applied to corresponding parts with the subscript a added ineach instance. and no detailed description will, therefore, be given,but the description will be confined to the parts which differ from thedisclosure of Fig. 2. The arm [1a is formed at its outer end withupturned cars 24, in which a roller 25 is rotatably supported throughthe medium of a bearing pin 25. The arm l1a overlies the plunger pin 3for actuating it, and coacts with the plunger pin in the same manner inwhich arm l1 coacts with the plunger pin when the actuator of Fig. 2 isemployed.

The actuator of Fig. 4 employs an adapter plate lla which is in allrespects the same as the adapter plate El of Fig. 2 save that it has ahollow post 21 secured to it by upsetting. The plate lla is fitted andsecured to the switch casing in the manner already described. The post21 is formed with a downwardly facing, internal shoulder 28 at its lowerend, the upper portion 29 of the bore which extends through the hollowpost being of reduced diameter.

A plunger pin 38 is slidably mounted in the bore 29. The pin 30 isformed with an internal recess 3| in which a compression coil spring 32is mounted to bear against the inner end of a plunger 33. The plunger3.3 is formed with an upper flange 34 which lies behind an inturnedflange 35 at the lower end of the recess 3|. The piunger 33 is formed atits lower end with a head 36 which is of a larger diameter within thebore portion 29 of the post 21.

The head 35 bears against the actuator pin 3 so that the thrustingdownward of the pin 30 causes the pin 3 to be actuated. The spring 32permits a considerable over-travel ofthe actuator. The spring 32 may bemade fairly stiff so as to resist over-travel of the actuator. Suchover-travel is limited by engagement of the lower end of the pin 30 withthe upper face of the head 36. Separation ofthe unit formed by the pin39 and the plunger 33 from the adapter plate is prevented by engagementof the upper face of the head 39 with the shoulder 28 of the post 21.

The form of actuator shown in Fig. employs an actuator plate llb whichis like the adapter plate ll with the exception that an externallythreaded post 31 is secured to the adapter plate llb by upsetting. Theplate llb is fitted and secured to the switch casing in the manneralready described. The post, together with a series of nuts 38 threadedupon it, is adapted to constitute the supporting means for securing boththe actuator and the switch. itself to a supporting panel. The post 31is passed forwardly through an opening in the panel and is clamped inplace by the first one of the nuts 38 that is applied. The other nutsare then screwed firmly into place to serve as lock nuts.

A hollow pin 39 operates within the post 3.1,

the pin being formed near the lower end with a shouldered flange 40which engages an internal shoulder 4| in the post 31 near the upper endthereof. The flange 40 and the shoulder 4l prevent escape of the pin 39from the bore of the post. The pin 39 is formed with a comparativelylarge bore 42 at its lower end and a smaller bore 43 in its upper end,there being a downwardly facing shoulder 44 provided at the junction ofthe two bores. A spring and plunger unit 45 is arranged to complementthe actuating pin 39. This unit comprises a pin 46 having a head 41secured upon its lower end, and having a washer 48 slidably mounted uponits upper end. A compressionv coil spring 49 tends at all times to forcethe washer away from the head 41. The upper end of the pin 46 is spreador upset as illustrated at 50 to prevent separation of the washer 48from the pin 46. The pin 46 is of small enough diameter to enter thereduced bore 43 of the pin 39, but the washer 4B is adapted to beengaged and thrust downward by the shoulder 4.4 of the pin 39. Thrustingdownward of the pin 39 causes the head 41 to actuate. the switch pin 3.vThe head 41 is therefore arrested by the switchpin 3 at the end of theswitch. pin stroke, but the spring 49 permits the washer 48 and the pin39 to travel downward for a considerable distance after the switch pinhas been arrested.

In Fig. 6 an actuator is shown in which an adapter plate He 'is of thesame construction as the adapter plate I l of Fig. 2 except for the factthat the adapter plate l I0 is formed with ears 5!. The plate lie isfitted and secured to the switch casing in the manner already described.The cars 5| carry a hinge pin 52, upon which an actuating lever 53 ismounted- The lever 53 is formed with downturned tail pieces 54, whichare adapted to engage the adapter plate I I0 for limiting movement ofthe actuating end of the lever. 53 away from the switch casing. A leafspring 55 is wrapped around the hinge pin 52 to form upper and, lowerarms 56 and 51. The upper arm 56 normally bears against the lower faceof the lever 53 while the lower arm 51 normally bears against the switchpin 3, holding the lever away from. the pin. Depression of the lever 53causes the actuating force to be transmitted through the leaf spring 55to the hinge pin. The spring 55 may be made light enough to yield beforethe switch pin 3 is actuated, or it may be made heavy enough to actuatethe switch pin first and to yield afterward. according to the mode ofoperation desired in any given instance.

The lever 53 is arigid member, but it has secured to it, by rivets 58, aflexible, resilient extension arm 59. While this extension arm. hasconsiderable elasticity, it can be readily bent by the fingers beyondits elastic limit, and it can, therefore, be deformed into any desiredshape.

In Fig. 7 an adapter plate He! is employed which is, in general, likethe adapter plate ll of Fig. 2. The adapter plate lld differs however inthe fact that it has upstanding ears 60 formed upon it. The plate lld isfitted and secured to the switch casing in the manner already described.The ears 60 support a hinge pin 6|, upon which an actuating lever 62 ispivotally mounted.

The lever 62 is formed with a tail portion 63 which over-lies the switchpin 3 for actuating the pin. A wire-spring 64 is wrapped around thehinge pin BI and has its lower ends 65 extended toward the right to restupon the adapter plate lid, The middle portion of the. spring. 64 is.

formed as a loop 66 which also extends towards the right to bear againstthe lower face of the lever 52 for urging the lever in acounter-clockwise direction. The spring 64 is made strong enough toovercome the resistance of the switch pin 3, so that the switch pin isnormally forced to a depressed position by the lever. The lever 62 isprovided at its righthand end with upstanding ears 6? which, through ahinge pin 68, support an actuating roller 69. When the roller 69 isengaged by a cam or any other suitable actuating member, the lever 62 isrocked clockwise, permitting the switch pin to rise. In this type ofconstruction the terminal tongue 6 will most commonly be engaged incircuit so as to cause the lower fixed contact of the switch to be theactive one. The lever 62 has an opening 10 formed in it, so that aslender screwdriver can be passed through for applying an attachingscrew H. 1' have described What I believe to be the best embodiments ofmy invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodimentsshown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patcut is set forth in theappended claim.

I claim: The combination with a switch comprising an operating plungerpin and a casing beyond one face of which the plunger pin projects, saidcasing having a non-circular depressed area surrounding the plunger pinand attaching bores formed in said area, of an adapter plate fitted inthe depressed area of the casing and having openings which register withthe attaching bores, fas-' teners attaching the adapter plate to thecasing, and actuating mechanism for the switch operating plunger pincarried by the adapter plate.

PHILIP A. LUND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Repka Nov. 23, 1948

